Naruto's Blessings
by AkumaKami64
Summary: The night before the Academy Exam, Naruto meets a stranger who grants him a power or two. The kicker? Naruto is unaware of this! As a result, Naruto passes without shadow clones. But the multiverse will take notice of the newest Blessed, who is on a journey to power beyond belief. Harem, gradually OP and pervy but in an OP and pervy setting.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto's Blessings

Summary: The night before the Academy Exam, Naruto meets a stranger who grants him a power or two. The kicker? Naruto is unaware of this! As a result, Naruto passes without shadow clones. But the multiverse will take notice of the newest Blessed, who is on a journey to power beyond belief. Harem, Based on Big Al's CYOAs among others, gradually OP and pervy but in an OP and pervy setting.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.

Anyone who met Naruto would think he was a troublemaking, boisterous fool that was just a bit too full of himself at times; A young boy grinning with overconfidence rather than being outright arrogant. In retrospect, that confidence was admirable in the face of so many setbacks.

Any person with a shred of wisdom and enough insight into the boy knew that Naruto had to have more doubts than he let on. He had failed the Academy Exam, the very basics of being a ninja, twice already. Much longer and they wouldn't let him reapply. More to the point, it would set him farther and farther behind ninja his own age.

Yes, despite all his bravado, Naruto had his doubts and worries about his exam in the morning. Even Iruka treating him to Ramen couldn't change that. Thus, he decided to take a longer walk home than usual, hoping to clear his head enough to sleep instead of tossing and turning in his bed.

Now, Naruto knew most of Konoha like the back of his hand. Still, he wasn't too surprised that he had been lost in thought enough to make a wrong turn. But he was a bit weirded out that he managed to wander into a bar of all places and without even being stopped or asked for identification.

Blinking owlishly, he looked around to study the establishment. The whole place looked decent and clean, with plenty of room for a large supply of customers. It was about half full, though, he didn't recognize anyone offhandedly. While he didn't have many in the way of friends, certain people tend to stick out in a ninja village. Like the Inuzuka with their facial marks, the Hyuuga with their pupil-less eyes, the Nara often having their hair up in a manner that made him think of pineapples, the overdressed Aburame. Not to mention all the rather...eccentric ninjas belonging to small clans or no clan at all.

In fact, he couldn't spy a headband anywhere. Was this a civilian only place? Well, no shop owner in their right mind would deny service to the ninja population of a Hidden Ninja Village, but there were restaurants and such ninja just didn't visit as often as their civilian counterparts.

Still, even disregarding the village's general dislike of him, why wasn't he being thrown out, given he didn't have a headband and was definitely underage?

"Hey, kid, need a seat?"

Naruto was pulled out of his puzzlement, looking to the bar itself and spying a man at one of the stools that turned to face him and was leaning back on the bar. He was an athletic young man, short brunette hair with a bit of stubble on his jawline. He had an easy going smile and kind, purple eyes.

"I'm, um, sorry, I got a little lost," Naruto said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head and hating how much like a little kid he must sound like.

"That's how most people find this place," the man assured, waving to the seat next to him. "Hey, Sal, get him a Jinglebeer."

The bartender, an older and slightly pudgy man with a short white beard and a bit of a hunchback, grumbled a bit as he went about making a drink. "I'm underage," Naruto informed flatly.

"Haha, nobody is the wrong age for a Jinglebeer," he assured undeterred.

Naruto, as a long time orphan, had long since developed a stranger danger sense that was hard to fool. Not the kind that saved him from being lied to, but the kind that told him what people a child should not be near or take things from. This guy, despite several outward warning signs, did not trigger this survival sense in the slightest.

So, Naruto grinned and took the offered seat. "Naruto Uzumaki," he greeted, upfront as usual.

"Just call me Archy," the former-stranger answered casually. "So, you're the prankster."

Rather than an accusation, it almost sounded like praise. "Hehe, yeah, that'd be me," Naruto answered with a bit of nervousness, hoping he hadn't pissed off someone here with a prank.

"I've seen a lot of strange things, but graffiti over a whole mountain in one morning? Impressive," he congratulated.

"Thanks, one of my better works," Naruto said with a puffed out chest. And it was. Did you know how hard it was to figure out when the gap was between the last of night time ANBU rotating out for more chunin-heavy watches in the day? The answer was very. He had saved it just for today as his graduating prank.

It was somewhat scary what Naruto did and knew to pull off his pranks, not that he or any others realized it…except maybe the Hokage and some ANBU.

"So, what's in this thing?" Naruto asked as the gruff bartender slid it to him.

"A watered down something between Bliss and the Meaning of Life," Archy joked with a snicker while Sal rolled his eyes.

Naruto shrugged and took a drink. His eyes went wide as his pupils dilated before downing the drink.

More than a few customers glanced at the newbie as he put the drink down, looking at nothing in disbelief. "That...was better than ramen," Naruto admitted as a slight buzz went through his brain, lifting his spirits and not intoxicating him in the slightest! He never imaged he'd utter such a blasphemous statement, but the truth was undeniable. Thankfully, it was merely a drink, so Ramen was still the FOOD of the Gods, just not their drink.

More than a few people snickered, even Sal, while Archy belly laughed for a few minutes. "Ohhh, that's a good one kid!" he said, turning around and patting the demon container on the back.

Naruto smiled, never recalling being welcome in a setting as warm and friendly as this. "Thanks, though...I don't have much money," he said in embarrassment.

"Eh, don't worry, drinks are on me," Archy promised with a hand wave. "So, Naru-boy, you trying to be one of those ninjas?" he inquired knowingly.

"Hehe, guess the pranks give it away a bit?" Naruto mused with a chuckle. Non-ninja, or non-ninja-aspiring, do not play pranks on his scale just for the fun of it. "Yeah, I got the final exam again tomorrow," he admitted, mentally wincing at his slip.

"Oh? Slipped up a time or two?" Archy guessed, completely without judgement.

"Something like that," Naruto answered, grumbling about the stupid clone jutsu.

Archy patted him on the head in a way of comfort.

Everyone in the bar pretended not to notice the glowing from Archy's hand as it impacted with the blond's skull, while Naruto just didn't see it.

"Don't worry, Kid. You know what they say. Third times the charm and everything comes in threes," Archy said philosophically. "It's pretty late though, so you should probably head home."

Naruto smiled, even more motivated and sure of himself by the pep talk than he was before. "Thanks, Archy! Hope I see you around when I'm a great ninja!" Naruto said he headed out, determined not only to pass tomorrow but come back here more often.

Archy and the bartender watched him leave in silence before Sal spoke. "You didn't even tell him what you gave him," he pointed out idly, his head cocked curiously.

"Of course not, it's more fun this way, for me and him," Archy answered with a grin. "Besides, he's Naruto Uzumaki. He'll be fine."

 **Next Day, Academy**

"Naruto Uzumaki, please perform the Clone Jutsu," Iruka instructed as Naruto stood in the exam room.

 _'Okay, get it together Naruto, do or die time!'_ Naruto mentally prepared himself as he formed the seal and his chakra surged _. 'Please work, please work, please wo-'_

 ***Poof!***

"Huh?" Naruto voiced in confusion, turning to see an exact duplicate of himself standing on one side of him, staring back in surprise as well. He turned and saw another at his other side.

Iruka blinked as he looked the clones over. They didn't just look passable, they looked surprisingly good. Clones had always been Naruto's worst subject, but some hard work and instincts must have kicked in. Pulling himself out of his surprise, he smiled at his student. "Congratulations, you pass Naruto. Please claim your Konoha Headband," he instructed.

Naruto shook his head out of his surprise as he dismissed his clones. "Ah, right, gotcha!" he acknowledged as he went up to the table and took it without really realizing it. It wasn't until he put it on his forehead did it REALLY sink in.

He was a fucking ninja now!

He grinned wide, a truly happy grin.

 _'Damn foxbrat. There goes that plan.'_

"Huh?" Naruto said, turning to the other instructor. "You say something, Mizuki-Sensai?" he asked curiously.

"Hmm?" The chunin looked up from his board, before glancing at an equally confused Iruka who shrugged. Putting his attention back at his now-former student, he shook his head. "No? Anyway, I suppose congratulations are in order, Naruto. Third time's the charm, eh?" he offered good-naturedly.

Naruto accepted the playful jab. "Just don't go bald without me around, Mizuki-sensai. And don't let Iruka-Sensei be such a stick in the mud," he joked…

Only to get bonked on the head with a clipboard by the scarred chunin. "Just get back to class so we can get to the rest," he instructed with a sigh. _'Good job, Naruto.'_

Naruto grinned at the compliment and took off. Once he was in the hall way, he started laughing in releif. "I fucking passed! Yes!"

Iruka sighed but decided to let the excited curse fly on the last day.

"Think we'll see him next year?" Mizuki whispered knowingly.

"Well, if I had to guess, he'd be with Sasuke Uchiha and probably Sakura Haruno," Iruka answered with a grimace. "Getting Naruto and Sasuke to work together would be an uphill battle, third teammate regardless."

 _'Oh well, I can wait another year,'_ Mizuki decided with a mental shrug.

Meanwhile, Naruto reentered the classroom with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"No way, you of all people actually pulled it off?" Kiba asked with a mocking laugh.

"Oh go hump something, Muttface!" Naruto shot back with a tick mark.

 _'Please don't fight...'_

Naruto blinked, not sure who said that and it didn't look like anyone else heard it either. Maybe he was hearing things?

"Eh, the test was surprisingly easy for once," Naruto admitted with a perky grin as he took a seat next to Sakura.

"Oh stop trying to act cool like Sasuke, Idiot," Sakura berated with a glare. _'CHA! I bet he only passed on their pity!'_

"Hey!" Naruto shot back, finding the insult particularly harsh, but his complaint came out as more of a whine since it was Sakura. "I'm not even acting! I don't know why, but it just clicked or something!"

"You sure it wasn't a fluke?" Ino teased with a smirk.

Naruto glared at his fellow blonde and did the hand seals. One poof of smoke later, there were four Narutos. One sitting in the chair, one crouched by the desk while sticking his tongue out at Ino, a third sitting on top of the desk with a smug look and the last standing on top of the desk with arms raised and hands throwing victory signs.

"...Okay, not bad," Ino begrudgingly admitted, flicking an eraser at the Naruto in the seat…which went right through him, just missed a surprised Sakura and was caught by Sasuke before it hit his head.

The class all stared in confusion. "Not bad indeed, Dobe," Sasuke admitted, catching everyone's attention as he raised an eyebrow at the Naruto sitting on the desk as the other three disappeared. "I almost didn't notice you change places in the smoke."

Naruto was of mixed feelings getting praise from Sasuke, but the lack of mocking made him grin at the last Uchiha. "Well, I was going to be the one on the desk, but I figured that'd take too long and make too much noise," Naruto answered sheepishly.

 _'Naruto is amazing.'_

Naruto blinked. A girl's voice just said he was amazing. Was his ego getting a voice of its own?

He glanced around, seeing that class was no longer focusing on him, back in their own little worlds. He'd love to ask Sakura on a date, but she was busy doing the same to Sasuke. One of these days, he was going to ask a fangirl what they saw in Sasuke Uchiha.

Sitting back down into his chair, he propped up his feet on the table and pulled his protector over his eyes. Life was looking up for him.

 **End of Chapter**

Okay, there we go, first chapter. Now, for all of you curious about the summary and setting, this fic is based on CYOAs. Not the book kind. These are more of a "Make a build and make a story out of that" kind of thing. You can find a lot of them on their reddits:

reddit r/makeyourchoice/

Big Al is one of my favorite CYOA Authors(and I've tried my hand at a few), so I based some fics on his stuff. Again, while Naruto will be OP and perverted, he'll inevitablly be around other OP beings and all of his friends and enemies have imilar potential to become OP. And most of Big Al's stuff is like Jiraiya's wet dream so, yeah.

I'll reveal the CYOA Chain for this fic overtime, but some of the build I'm making up as I go.

Hope you all enjoyed this and hope I introduced some of you to the wonders of CYOAs.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto's Blessings

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto, and a lot of this goes to Big Al and other CYOA makers.

AN _All thoughts in italics are thoughts Naruto hears._

"Old Man! I passed!" Naruto cheered as he entered the Hokage's office, grinning ear to ear.

Only to blink as he saw three more elderly folks standing in front of the Hokage. The guy missing an eye and with an arm in a sling gave him a rather unphased expression while the other man and woman just looked insulted by his barging in.

And the True Old Man just smiled at him. "Ahh, Naruto, good to see you. You seem to have caught me at a bad time."

"Why exactly were you permitted to enter, boy? We're in a meeting," The one eyed man inquired sternly, looking like he was tempted to snap the cane at him.

"Um, I thought the secretary went home, so that's usually when he's free," Naruto answered with a shrug.

"Likely on a bathroom break," The Hokage supplied offhandedly. He left out that the unseen ANBU guards obviously let Naruto come in due to the frequency of these visits.

"If you're busy, I'll just come back later," Naruto offered, inching to the door.

"No, no, it's fine, my boy. We were just wrapping up," Sarutobi assured with a voice that was both kind, to Naruto alone, and stern to everyone else.

"Sarutobi, this is a serious matter!" one of the elders demanded with a scowl.

"A serious matter that is already decided, Homaru," Sarutobi stated firmly.

"Very well then, Lord Hokage," the seemingly crippled man stated with a small nod of respect, turning abruptly, prompting Naruto to get out of the way quickly.

"Danzo!" The woman called, seemingly outraged by his acceptance.

"The Hokage has obviously made up his mind, Koharu," Danzo stated simply as he paced to the door. Naruto decided to be polite in holding it open but Danzo found the young ninja staring at him intently, as if scrutinizing him. "...What is it, Boy?" he asked in disapproval.

"Just trying to figure out how you are so good and bad at the same time at hiding you're a badass ninja," Naruto answered honestly as he sized him up, looking to the Hokage with a grin, "He's almost as good at hiding it as you are, Old Man."

The other two elders blinked while Danzo rose an eyebrow at the odd compliment, more emotion than Hiruzen had seen in a while, prompting a chuckle from Danzo's old rival.

Danzo ultimately left without a comment. At least, none that the Third Hokage could hear.

 _'Hmm, more peculiar than I expected him to be.'_

 _'Dismissing us for a brat, even if it THAT brat.'_

 _'What is wrong with you, Hiruzen?! Keeping this secret helps no one now!'_

Naruto scowled, closing the door after he heard those " _whispered_ " comments from Danzo, Koharu, and Homaru respectively. "Well, they're a bunch of assholes," Naruto stated flatly.

"Those are my old teammates, Naruto," Sarutobi informed in amusement.

"...I'm sorry?" Naruto offered sheepishly.

"Apologies work best directed at the offended party," Hiruzen pointed out.

"No, I mean sorry they were your teammates," Naruto corrected with a wide grin.

"Hehe, we might disagree a lot these day, but I wouldn't trade my time with them for anything else," Hiruzen answered honestly, tipping his hat as awkward memories came to mind. 'Particularly that time Koharu literally saved my balls.'

Naruto winced, wanting to say just how TMI that was, but thought against it. "Even that Danzo guy?" he inquired, pushing the joke along.

"He wasn't my teammate," The monkey summoner answered cheekily as they both shared a laugh. "So, you think Danzo is a badass, eh, Naruto?" the Hokage inquired in amusement.

"Well, all you elderly ninjas seem to use the same fake hobbled look," Naruto said with a shrug.

"Is it really that obvious?" Sarutobi inquired with a sweat-drop.

"It wasn't until I saw you push a tree off a path on your own a few years ago," Naruto answered smugly. "After that, you start to realize how many of you old timers just like to surprise everyone with how in shape you actually are."

"I needed some fresh air and exercise," Hiruzen defended proudly as he came up to Naruto, examining the Hitai-ate on his head. "Third times the charm, eh, Naruto?"

"A lot of people say that," Naruto murmured with an eye roll.

Only to blink as the elderly village leader leaned down and hugged him. "I'm proud of you, Naruto."

Naruto grinned as he fought back tears and embraced his surrogate grandfather. "T-thanks old man. J-just wait, I'll be a kickass Hokage and take that hat from you in no time!" he declared with determination.

The Hokage chuckled and released the boy. "I'm sure you will, Naruto and then I can finally retire again!" he mock-rejoiced as he ruffled the blond's spikey hair. "Now, I can already guess what you're going to ask, but the answer is no," he informed apologetically.

"No victory Ramen?" Naruto asked with a pout.

"No, but it's for a good reason. After all, who do you think reviews all the team placements?" Sarutobi asked with a grin.

"Geeze Old Man. I thought it was weird though. We graduate and you're going to figure out the teams in one night?" Naruto inquired curiously.

"Well, your instructors do most of the work, recommending placements based on all their observations of the fresh genin and their skills," Sarutobi informed. "Still, I have to review all of them and, if changes are needed, find the best combinations possible."

"Guess that makes sense. Tomorrow night then?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Hehe, I'd say yes, but you'll be busy preparing for a...tradition we have for new teams," Sarutobi informed carefully. After all, who would jump to the conclusion that the first test was just for weeding out the rest?

"Aww man," Naruto muttered in disappointment before brightening up. "Oh well, I'll probably be busy with this team stuff anyway."

"That's the spirit, Naruto. Now why don't you head off and enjoy yourself," Hiruzen suggested.

"Sure. Great talking with you, Old Man," Naruto called as he did an about face to leave.

"You as well, my boy," Sarutobi called as the potential-genin made it to the door. _'I'll tell him if he passes the real test.'_

"Huh? You say something, Gramps?" Naruto asked, about to close the door behind him.

The wizened leader blinked and smiled. "No, Naruto, just murmuring to myself," he assured while mentally confused, wondering if he said that out loud.

"Oh, okay," Naruto accepted, trying to clean out his ears as he closed the door. "Shame, was going to show him that bar I found. I'll just head out then," he decided with a shrug.

After a few annoyed words exchanged between him and the secretary about her needing a **"Be Back in Five"** sign, Naruto found himself wandering the streets of Konoha.

 _'Oh great, it's him.'_

 _'Is that a headband?'_

 _'Dammit it, he really did pass.'_

 _'That child's a ninja now.'_

He was just a bit uncomfortable. He was used to the stares and hushed words, but they seemed much louder than normal. Was him passing really pissing them off that much?

 _'Naruto...'_

He blinked and came to a stop. _'Okay, THAT is the voice I heard at the academy,'_ he recognized, looking around curiously.

 _'Did he spot me?'_

Naruto turned around, scanning the crowd as he made his way through them, focusing only on that little ' _voice_ '. When did his hearing become this good again? Oh well, like the clone jutsu, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

'Oh no, he's coming this way!'

Naruto's eyes locked on as he saw sudden movement near an intersection, prompting him to pick up the pace and ignoring all the other looks he was getting.

The villagers got oddly quiet now that he wasn't paying attention to them, not that Naruto took stock of this.

Turning the corner, he spotted a flash of grey and indigo ducking down an alley way. He could just keep running after them, but he was a ninja.

While he didn't know how to walk up walls (or that he could yet) just about any academy student half way through the academy could jump on and across rooftops with ease. Taking to the roof, he decided to cut his stalker off, heading to the alley between two buildings. Looking down, he was treated to the sight of someone, his age by their size, hiding behind a dumpster.

Deciding to figure out just who this was and why they felt the need to run from him, he jumped on down and land right behind them.

Or, rather, her.

His arrival made her jump around in alarm, staring at him with wide, pale, startled eyes and a growing blush on her face. He eyed her in confusion. "Umm, hi?" he greeted awkwardly. This made look away, several times, with an uneasy expression on her face. He crossed his arms, taking this to mean she had issues with him like everyone else. Still, he knew this girl. She was from his class, right? Did she have a bone to pick with him? "Do you have something to say or are you following me out of boredom?" he asked with a scowl.

She flinched, bowing her head and fiddling with her fingers. "I-I, um, t-th-that is..." she mumbled uncertainly.

"Eh?" Naruto asked as he leaned in closer, making her blush and cover the lower half of her face with her hands while staring at him with wide eyes.

 _'I'm Hinata Hyuuga and I really, really like you and want to be as confident and amazing as you!'_

Naruto went wide eyed as he tried to compute that, causing his brain to almost literally reboot.

This girl liked him? Wait, _**THAT**_ was why she acted creepy and weird, because she was too nervous to talk to him?! And more importantly, there was in fact a girl not only willing to give him a chance, but who actually thought he was awesome?

Hinata was wondering why she hadn't fainted yet, why her mind refused to shut down on her as it usually did in these situations, but blushed hard as Naruto suddenly grinned at her. Like he had just come to a decision about her. Her eyes slowly widened as Naruto leaned in closer and closer.

 _'Wait, is he really...?!'_

Her heart stopped as Naruto's lips touched her forehead.

She stared numbly as Naruto pulled back with a cocky yet sheepish grin. "Listen, I'll admit I don't have the finer points of the whole dating thing down, but...want to go out for a bit, Hinata?"

 _'Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!'_ Hinata mentally chanting while nodding rapidly in glee.

Naruto grinned wider at her enthusiasm. "Great! Hey, and I know just the place to get a drink," he mused

 _'A drink? A drink as in a bar..?'_ Hinata mentally wondered in surprised, wondering how fast this was going and how this could end...

"Don't worry, no alcohol, and it's real nice," Naruto assured to her " _question_ " with a grin before shrugging. "Though, it's a new place for me. You mind us going for Ramen if we can't find it?"

"N-no, any-anywhere is fine with me!" Hinata promised quickly, standing straighter and keeping her stutter down a bit better. She was ablaze with determination and not willing to let herself ruin this miracle! She wasn't going to faint, she would stutter less and she would not let him misread any overt shyness as disliking him.

"Good. I just hope it's not as expensive as it looks," Naruto murmured as he took Hinata's hand and led her back out to the street.

 _'Naruto is holding my hand! Don't faint, keep walking!'_ Hinata mentally chanted to herself, completely content with the world for now, while Naruto chuckled under his breath at her antics.

If either of them noticed the villagers being surprised by the apparent and sudden couple of the Demon Brat with a Clan Princess, they paid them no heed. Hinata was on Cloud Nine, with Naruto at about Cloud Seven. He was curious about this admirer that had been under his nose this whole time, and she loved how warm and nice Naruto's hand felt around her own.

"Now let's see-huh, thought it'd be a bit farther than that," Naruto remarked as he spot the bar in question. Granted, he didn't remember the outside of it, but the words over the top saying _ **"Archy's Den"**_ pretty much gave it away. _'Wait, so that guy was the owner? Wow, what a chill guy for someone running a business.'_

Hinata took in the bar curiously as they entered. True to Naruto's words, it was a fairly pleasant looking place with a relax atmosphere.

"Back already, kid?" Sal asked with a gruff tone as he polished a few glasses.

"Hey, um...Sal! Right, Sal! Your boss in?" Naruto asked with grin as he jumped onto one of the stools, Hinata joining him.

"Nice save," Sal said with an eye roll. "Arch is off on personal stuff, so you're stuck with me. Now, who's this? Girlfriend?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Hinata's blush renewed itself, prompting Naruto to snicker a bit. "Kind of, probably, I think?" Naruto answered with a clueless shrug.

Hinata giggled, finding the answer too funny to be discouraged by. "W-we're just friends for right now, Mr. Sal," Hinata answered, her smile betraying her as she looked to her crush.

"Uh-huh, right," Sal responded with an eye roll as he produced two drinks for the pseudo-couple. "Well, cheers to graduating and...whatever you're pretending your relationship is for the time being," he offered in a good-natured, rough way.

Naruto chuckled, not really sure when someone officially became a couple. "So, what do we talk about?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Ask her about her kinky dreams!" A female voice from one of the other customers called, eliciting a round of laughs from the rest.

"P-pervert witch!" Naruto cried in protest, blushing as Hinata went scarlet from head to toe.

"Kleo! I will throw you out this time!" Sal warned with a growl, eliciting another laugh from the same woman. "Ignore her," he advised, pushing the glasses forward.

"What is this?" Hinata asked curiously, not sure what to make of the drink yet.

"This, Hinata, is a Jinglebeer: The one thing I will dare say rivals ramen," Naruto said in a too-serious voice before turning to the bartender. "So, how much do I owe you?"

"Eh, don't worry kid. Arch said it's on the house again, same for your friend," Sal waved off as Hinata took a curious drink.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that, not sure why he was still getting free drinks. Then he turned to Hinata and stared in surprise to see her gulping her drink with wide eyes of wonder...and she promptly fell backwards out of her chair from over tipping.

"Oh shit!" Naruto cursed, moving to catch her. His footing not properly secured at first, he almost fell out too, but managed to catch his fellow graduate. "Um, you okay, Nata?" Naruto asked in concern as he cradled her top half in his arms, her legs still halfway on the seat.

 _'Best day, best drink, best everything!'_ Hinata cheered as she smiled up at him…and suddenly pulled him down into an upside down kiss.

The shock of it, feeling her tongue push against his mouth, made him forget the question of why he didn't see her mouth move when she spoke.

Hinata released him after a good ten seconds, smiling so wide she might tear her face in two. Snickers and applause reached their ears as Naruto looked up and saw Sal give them an unimpressed look. "So this is your " _not-really_ " girlfriend, right?" Sal questioned sarcastically.

Hinata giggled, still " _high_ " on the comically divine drink as she stood up and retook her seat. "I'm sorry if I was b-being too forward, Naruto. Today is just so perfect, I couldn't contain myself," she apologized, still obviously very happy about this whole situation.

"...Hinata, if this is ever going to work, there is one rule I have that you must follow," Naruto said evenly as he stood up.

Hinata blinked, looking concerned. "What's that, Naruto?" she inquired, her mind rushing through scenarios. Everything from not touching him without permission to calling him Master in private.

Half of those thoughts vanished and the other half intensified as Naruto was suddenly the one kissing her. She sat there, dumbly, as the crowd gave them cheers, catcalls, and the like. He pulled back, looking into her wide, attentive eyes. "NEVER apologize for kissing me. Got it?" Naruto instructed firmly.

Hinata stared for a moment before breaking out into another grin. "Y-yes, I think I can do that, Naruto," she said in a blissfully happy voice.

"Good, now, we are going to sit down and try to get to know each other and never entertain these perverts again," Naruto decided, getting boos from the crowd. "Shut up! We're not your entertainment!" Naruto yelled at them, ignoring the "Yes you are!" in the background.

"B-but..." Hinata started, recapturing Naruto's attention. "I-I thought you liked a-attention, Naruto?" she asked with a shaky smile, trying to sound playful.

Naruto stared for a moment before chuckling and patting her on the head in mock-condescension. "Nice try, Hinata."

Hinata beamed as if it were honest praise and also enjoying the headpats a little. "S-so, what do you want to know?" she asked curiously.

"Well, everyone knows who I am. Prankster, unpredictable, two-time screw up, all-time awesome. But, I'm sorry to say, I'm not too sure who you are besides being an adorably cute girl that has questionable taste in boys and tastes like cinnamon," Naruto commented cheekily.

"...Do you like cinnamon?" Hinata asked with a hopeful smile, giddy at being called cute by him.

"It's growing on me," Naruto answered, looking at her expectantly.

"We-well, I'm from the Hyuuga clan. A-actually, the clan head is my father," Hinata confessed, not sure how Naruto would take that.

"Hyuuga, huh. Wait...doesn't that make you kind of like a princess?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I-I wouldn't put it like that, but I guess?" Hinata answered nervously. She never did like flaunting around her heritage to make a point or anything.

"...Isn't it supposed to be the awesome underdog pinning away to impress the princess, not the other way around?" Naruto asked cheekily.

"Y-you're just that awesome?" Hinata attempted in her own manner of boldness. "W-was that why you wanted Sakura?" she inquired, looking away a bit.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I like Sakura. Smart, spunky and pretty. BUT!" Naruto said this firmly as Hinata looked down. "I've honestly thought for a long while that every girl pretty much hated me or wouldn't give me the time of day. So, I figured, if none of them like me, I might as well as try to go after the one I thought I liked best. Sorry I never really noticed you before," Naruto said sheepishly.

"N-no, its fine! I...kind of tried to avoid you noticing me," Hinata answered, looking down with a sad look.

"Huh? Why would you do that?" Naruto asked in confusion. "We couldn't exactly ever go out if you avoided me."

"I...didn't think I was worth your time," Hinata answered, sounding a bit depressed with herself now.

Neither of them noticed Sal glaring at the other customers, warning them not to ruin the moment again.

Naruto just stared, truly unable to comprehend that. He had been treated that way by many people himself, but he couldn't imagine why anyone would feel like that about him...unless, the feeling of worthlessness had nothing to do with him.

 _'I'm just a failure,'_ Hinata thought to herself bitterly, almost feeling bad for enjoying herself with the boy of her dreams.

"Umm, Hinata?" Naruto spoke up awkwardly, getting her attention. "I...failed the exam twice. Technically, I'm the failure here," he pointed out.

He had no idea how to deal with this! He just got angry and more determined to prove everyone wrong! He wasn't sure how you help someone just shake it off when they wallow in it!

Hinata smiled a little bit. "Thank you, Naruto. But..." Hinata paused before pulling her knees to herself. "Naruto, I..I know you don't have a family, but can I ask you something?"

"...Yeah?" Naruto asked, a bit worried himself now.

"I love my friends and my family. And I hate the thought of hurting them, even if it's just for training. How do I justify hurting the people I love?" Hinata asked softly.

Naruto blinked, looked up. "Wait, you're telling me you pull your punches in spars with everyone?" Naruto asked curiously.

"I know it's silly, but...," Hinata trailed off.

"Hinata, I really, REALLY don't like Sasuke," Naruto stated flatly.

"Huh?" Hinata asked in confusion. Why did the topic change so rapidly.

"I wouldn't say I hate him, but I hate his attitude, among other things. But while I hate getting beat by him, I don't hate that he beat me," Naruto stopped to look up in thought. "Or does it make more sense the other way around? Anyway, not important! The point I'm probably failing at here is that hurting your friends in a spar is a good thing, usually. it helps you both get stronger and well...look, who are these spars mostly against?"

"M-my little sister," Hinata confessed, completely enraptured with his words.

"...Trying and failing to imagine a cuter version of you. I just realized I might get diabetes looking at your baby photos," Naruto remarked to her amusement, shaking his head clear. "But that's actually a bit worse. I...kind of watched a few families growing up. While some kids really don't like their big brothers or sisters, a lot of them look up to them. So...imagine if we got into a spar and you realized _"I"_ was holding back on you?" Naruto clarified.

"I'd think you didn't think I was wor-" Hinata stopped as many, many things clicked to her.

 ***THUMP!***

"Hey, hey, don't dent the wood!" Sal warned as Hinata's head dropped, hard.

"My baby sister hates me...," Hinata bemoaned with anime tears.

"W-well, I wouldn't go that far," Naruto said sheepishly. "Just...try your best next time. Just remember, sparring is helping more than hurting. Usually," Naruto advised with caution.

"But Hanabi isn't a push over, Naruto. She's really good for her age," Hinata pointed out.

"Are you sure she's better than you though?" Naruto asked with an encouraging grin. "Look at it this way? The sooner you beat her ass, the sooner you can kiss her booboos away," Naruto teased lightly.

Hinata smiled, feeling a bit better about...everything. "I'll try, I suppose."

The blond teen looked up thoughtfully as an idea came to mind. "If you win, I'll take you on a picnic with cinnamon rolls next week?" Naruto offered experimentally.

"Excuse me, I have to go beat my sister's ass in front of my father!" Hinata exclaimed with a grin as she jumped out of her seat, heading to the door. She stopped, turned back around, marched straight up to Naruto and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Naruto."

"You've kissed me twice now, and I did was I treat you to drinks I got free and some advice I pulled together. I'm pretty sure I got the better deal here," Naruto pointed out with a chuckle as Hinata beamed again, leaving with an extra pep in her step. With that, Naruto turned back around and sighed. "Okay, Sal, you seem like a reasonable adult. How badly did I screw that up?" Naruto asked helplessly.

Sal rose an eyebrow as he glanced after the girl. "I'm pretty sure you haven't screwed anything yet kid, good or bad."

Naruto glared at the bartender's dry joke. "Any chance of Archy firing you?"

"Not a chance in Eternity," Sal answered with a smirk.

"So...do you sell Cinnamon buns here, by chance?" Naruto asked hopefully, getting a sweat-drop from Sal.

 **Meanwhile**

Hiashi Hyuuga was a fatherly mixture of worried and annoyed by how late Hinata was getting home to report if she had passed or failed the genin exam. He was sorely tempted to send out a guard or Neji to try and find her, but that became very unneeded as Hinata Hyuuga walked into his office.

He was about to scold her when he noticed this Hinata was very different from the one that left this morning. Her head was held high, there was a small smile on her face, and while her trembling gave her nervousness away it didn't show much elsewhere. Also, there was a headband around her neck. "I see you passed, Hinata," he remarked evenly.

"Thank you, Father," she gave with a small bow to her clan head of a father. "If it is not an inconvenience, I would like to make a request."

"...And that would be?" Hiashi asked, hiding his own curiosity.

Despite his Hyuuga mask, there was something he liked about how Hinata's smile grew. "I would like a spar with my sister if neither of you are busy."

Hiashi stared, his lack of response telling of his surprise. The Hinata he knew was too...coddling, too worried about hurting others and overall unconfident in herself. He had something to do with that last bit, loathed as he was to admit it. Being gentle wasn't bad, it was in the name of their taijutsu for crying out loud! But Hinata just came off as weak to most people.

And yet, something had changed for her. A gleam in her eye he hadn't seen before.

Still, he was incredibly tempted to say no. He knew that her team would meet tomorrow and learn of the true test. Even to him, it didn't feel fair to risk her getting injured to leave a poor impression on her teammates and Sensei.

However...the situation of **"who is the Heiress?"** was a very...fluid situation. The older Hinata got, the more fixed it became that Hanabi was the next leader. For various reasons such as lessons in leading the clan, perception and backing of the clan members, etc. In fact, most of the elder saw Hinata becoming a genin as the deadline for Hinata showing any true improvement over her younger sister.

But, despite what Hinata and her classmates believed, they weren't genin yet. Not until they passed the real exam, and even then not until they registered.

And if he was going to choose Hanabi without regret, he needed to make sure this wasn't a fluke and, if it wasn't, to know once in for all how strong was his eldest, if she had the heart and spirit to truly fight.

"...I don't believe that'll be a problem, Hinata."

 **End of Chapter**

Well, there's chapter 2, and Naruto still hasn't figured out that he can read minds yet, but he has gotten a new friend, almost-girlfriend with Hinata at the very start. Who now has a confidence boost due to Naruto's involvement.

And Hinata holding back is canon, its stated she hesitates in spars while Hanabi doesn't. I'm not giving Hinata a power up(yet), Naruto just lit a fire under her ass.

Now, like I said, this involves CYOAs, chief of which is Big Al's Supreme Blessings: I'd give a link, but Fanfiction is bullshit and won't let us add in links. Just google "supreme blessing cyoa" and go to the reddit link.

The current, confirmed build is just Super Psionics. The other two aren't revealed yet.

Oh, and by the way? Thank you all for the reveiws, except for that one Guest. You know who you are, asshole


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto's Blessings

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.

"Begin!"

Hanabi's eyes went wide for all of an instant before she braced to duck under a roundhouse kick from Hinata, taking aim to strike at the chakra points in the offending leg. But the elder sister jumped back, just enough for the strike to miss as she corrected her stance and instantly set upon Hanabi once more.

While in awe of her sister's sudden confidence and will, Hanabi did not intend to let the surprise be her downfall. That said, with her sister taking this truly serious, she found the one disadvantage she always knew came with being the little sister.

Hinata had a greater height and reach than she did, making it easier to block, misdirect, and evade Hanabi's attacks. Consequently, Hanabi found herself on the defensive straight from the outset. Gritting her teeth as she parried another gentle fist strike, she leapt past Hinata's guard to temporarily eliminate the size gap and strike at Hinata's left shoulder.

The little sister had no idea if she landed the blow or not before Hinata's right hand struck a chakra point in Hanabi's extended wrist and, in near the same instance, grabbed it with a vice grip. Pulling with all her might, Hinata used her sister's momentum to swing her around and slam her in the floor.

Byakugan eyes met with intensity and Hanabi was glad to see she hadn't missed in the shoulder attack. But one point was not enough to stop someone from using the Gentle Fist or their arm. That said, Hinata's arm obviously wasn't as steady as it had been.

Hanabi bit back a grunt of pain as Hinata took strikes at her stomach, around her charka core. Alarms going off through her head, Hanabi kicked her legs up to wrap them around Hinata's arm, clinging to it like a koala as Hinata tried to pull her off. Hanabi quickly disabled the chakra points in rapid succession up and down Hinata's arm, rendering it usel-

Hanabi couldn't help the groan of pain that burst from her mouth as she impacted with the ground hard. What just happened? Hinata had been fine; her legs shouldn't have given out.

And they hadn't, Hanabi realized with foggy approval. Hinata had dropped to the ground, making sure Hanabi's skull impacted with her. While Hanabi was wrapped around the arm, Hinata's own legs were now pinning Hanabi to the limb no matter how she struggled.

Hanabi glared in defeat as she watched her sister's hand move up her back and...disappear? No, not disappear, it was in the blind spot, Hanabi realized and braced herself for the quick jab to the base of her skull, her body going limp.

Hinata pulled her arm free from the motionless form of her sister, rolling her head to pop her neck and examine her wounds. Hanabi's feet had nicked her when wrapping around her arm. Speaking of which, she got to her feet and began reopening the points in the limb, taking a relaxing breath as chakra flowed back into it.

Than the adrenaline wore off and reality finally hit her: she had won.

She turned to her father, who had witnessed the spar with two elders to confirm its result. Despite Hyuuga stoicism, she could see clearly they were at least taken back by this turn of events.

"Father, would you please?" she requested with a small smile, nodding to her sister's body.

Hiashi needed nothing more to re-center himself, walking over to his daughters and kneeling down to put a finger on the back of Hanabi's head.

The Hyuuga blind spot was more dangerous than others knew. It marked a spot that a single Gentle Fist strike into could render the entire body paralyzed from the neck down, permanently if overcharged. It was fortune that the Gentle Fist emphasized fine control and minimum chakra expense with its strikes.

"Congratulations, Heiress Hinata," Hiashi offered with veiled praise and the barest ghost of a smile as he stood, Hinata bowing in thanks and obviously beaming inside more than her smile hinted at.

"Thank you, Father," Hinata accepted as her sister groaned, slowly moving her limbs. "...Sister, are you alright?" Hinata asked in concern.

"I'll get up on my own, just...someone turn me over," Hanabi requested begrudgingly. Their father looked almost- almost!- amused as his eldest leaned down, gently flipping his youngest over. Hinata was relieved to see not only was Hanabi's expression not angry, but she was actually smiling; cocky and pained, but a smile nonetheless. "Well, you finally grew a spine, Sis," she complimented with a chuckle.

"I had some...perspective given to me recently," Hinata retorted vaguely, giggling before looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, Hanabi."

"For what? Kicking my ass? Don't be," Hanabi assured, waving her hand dismissively despite her limp arm looking utterly ridiculous. If Hiashi had issue with the crass language, he had chosen not to voice it.

"No...for never taking you seriously. I was so worried about hurting my sister, that I forgot how little that must make you think of me," Hinata elaborated passionately before bowing her head.

Hanabi's breath caught in her throat as her eyes shimmered. "...I forgive you, Hinata," Hanabi granted in a small voice, before groaning as she forced her body to sit up. Hinata resisted the urge to comfort her sister and tell her to take it easy, but allowed the smaller female to get herself up into a kneeling position. Hanabi smirked as she looked up at her sister with reborn respect. "And thank you, Heiress. WA!"

The Clan Head and Hyuuga elders both pretended to not pay attention to Hinata wrapping her sister in a bear hug. Hiashi nodded for the two elders to leave, having seen what they needed for this.

"I love you, Hanabi," Hinata whispered happily into her sister's hair.

"Hinata. Still stiff. Please let go. My everything hurts," Hanabi pleaded, wincing at the contact.

"Oh!" Hinata exclaimed in surprise as she quickly released her sibling.

"...Love you too," Hanabi answered with a grin before rolling her shoulders and sitting down to rest. "I'm just going to...sit here until I'm good to walk again. Father, is there anything else for the day?" she inquired, hoping for a negative.

"Hinata needs to prepare to meet her team tomorrow, so no," Hiashi reminded, leaving it unstated that Hanabi no longer needed lessons on being the clan head one day. "Hinata, I trust you can handle yourself for the rest of the day?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Father," Hinata answered, momentarily blushing as she realized Naruto now owed her a date. "I-If you'll excuse me, I'll retire to my room," she requested, getting a nod before quickly departing.

"...So, what did you say to her, exactly?" Hanabi asked, raising an eyebrow up at her father.

"Hinata's change is as much a mystery to me as you," Hiashi explained, his expression softening at his youngest. "Are you alright with this, Hanabi?"

"Losing the title of heiress to my elder sister after she kicked my ass?" Hanabi asked bluntly, smiling wistfully. "Yeah, I'm alright with this."

"You do realize you might end up in the Branch Family in the next few years?" Hiashi reminded with regret that only a handful of people would pick up. The one good thing about Hanabi being the heiress was that he could justify not branding either for much longer than normal, on the principle that Hinata MIGHT surpass Hanabi. Something his own father could have but didn't do with him and Hizashi.

Hanabi nodded with a maturity one her age shouldn't have. "I'll be happy if so, Father. If I go there, it means my big sister really is as strong as I always knew she was..."

 **Next Day**

"Geeze, Naruto. I was beginning to think I lost my best customer," Teuchi joked with a grin as he watched the boy guzzle down a fresh bowl.

"Sorry. I got a little turned around the night before I graduated and, well, something came up yesterday," Naruto said sheepishly.

"Something, or someone?" Ayame teased with a sly smile. "I heard rumors about you pulling along a girl somewhere, Naruto~"

Naruto blushed under the treatment as the shop owner's eye twinkled. "Oh! Is our little Naruto finally growing up? Is it that Sakura girl you've been crushing on?" he egged on.

"N-no," Naruto answered, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "Actually, she had a crush on me...has? Is it still a crush if we're, you know, looking into it?"

 _'He's so cute when he overthinks things,'_ Ayame "said" with a giggle behind her hand. "That's called dating, Naruto," Ayame corrected with a cackle at his exasperated look.

"So, when do we get to meet the future Miss Uzumaki?" Teuchi asked wryly.

Naruto groaned under the relentlessness of it all. "Oh, come on, don't be like-"

"NARUTO-KUN!"

Cue a blue haired missile taking him off the stool. The chef and his daughter blinked owlishly as they looked over the counter.

"Wow, Hinata-Chan! Warn a guy or we'll both get covered in ramen," Naruto said, smiling through his surprise as the girl positively buzzed with happiness.

Hinata had an almost stupid grin, the lightest of blushes dusting her face while her arms were around Naruto's neck. "I did it! I won! I kicked my little sister's ass and you were right!" she cheered as she held the boy of her dreams close.

"Really? That's great!" Naruto congratulated with an eye smile before realization dawned on him. "And now I owe you a cinnamon picnic," he admitted with a chuckle.

"Umm, Naruto? Care to introduce us?" Teuchi asked while Ayame just stared, looking as dumbfounded as he felt.

"Oh, right!" Naruto said nervously, Hinata blushing harder as she quickly stood up and allowed Naruto to rise. "Hinata, the old man Teuchi Ichiraku and his daughter, Ayame. Makers and owners of the best ramen in the world. I've been coming here for years, so we know each other," he explained with his signature grin. Teuchi was too curious about this friend of Naruto's to catch the crack at his age. "Ayame, Teuchi? This is Hinata Hyuuga, my...friend that I think I'm trying to date right now?" Naruto answered uncertainly.

"I-it's a pleasure to meet you," Hinata answered with a smile and a small bow. "And I think you can call me your girlfriend now, Naruto-kun. I-I mean, if you want to, that is!" Hinata assured before looking worried about overstepping.

 _'...Holy shit, SHE'S afraid to offend him?!'_ the daughter-father duo realized in shock.

Naruto laughed a bit at their reactions. "Yeah, I had to tell her to stop apologizing for kissing me," Naruto said with a tease.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata whined, her face flushing harder as she poked her fingers together.

"And you didn't want to just call her your girlfriend because?" Ayame asked warningly.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know when or what makes a couple official, sue me," he countered bluntly "And, well, I didn't know if Hinata-Chan would even want me to say that."

The trio all had looks of understanding, though Hinata looked the most upset by it. "Of course I would!" she exclaimed loudly, covering her mouth in shock at the volume. He looked to her in surprise, causing her to glance away with a smile. "I-it's what I wanted most."

Ayame smiled, realizing that Naruto had managed to find a girl that not only liked him but noticed his less than pleasant life.

"...Well, guess I got a girlfriend then," Naruto said cheekily, Hinata glowing giddily in response. The Genin then went wide eyed as he caught the time. "Oh crap, we're going to be late! Thanks for the food; I'll pay you next time!" Naruto promised before running off, grabbing Hinata's hand to pull her along. The Hyuuga heiress would have been more happy about that if she wasn't now also worried about her father hearing she arrived late for team assignments. She was not ruining things that quickly!

The Ichiraku family exchanged looks as the couple left. "Did I hear her right? She kicked her little sister's ass?" Teuchi asked in confusion.

"And it was Naruto's idea," Ayame answered with a nod.

Teuchi just sighed and shook his head. "Ninja. Crazy, all of them."

 **Meanwhile**

Sasuke Uchiha quietly sat at his chair as he had done for most of the school year when they weren't doing anything hands-on. He was honestly savoring the time until his two biggest fangirls, Ino and Sakura, showed up and ruined the relative peace. He could tune out murmuring and regular school noises, but it was a little difficult to completely ignore people trying to get his attention.

And while it might be beneficial to consider getting to know some of his female classmates for rebuilding his clan one day, he honestly just couldn't summon the desire to. Not in the sexual sense, though he was still debating his type. He didn't know if puberty hadn't hit the lust phase yet or if it just required the female being moderately powerful. No, the real issue was that he felt it was pointless to consider having a family until he killed Itachi, avenging his old family and not having to worry about losing them to the same man.

He was pleasantly surprised when the door slammed open and his peace was disturbed not by Ino and Sakura, but by a very out of breath Hinata and a triumphant Naruto. "SAFE! We made it on time!" Naruto declared with a sigh of relief. Given how flushed, sweaty, and out of breath his girlfriend was, several students gave them suspicious looks. Naruto raised an eyebrow at all of them. "You all got a problem?" he asked with his arms crossed. While some would normally mock the dead last for his bravado, they all just let it go. No point in getting in trouble on their last day in the classroom. "You okay, Hinata-Chan?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" Hinata assured with a bright smile. "I'm just not as fast as you, Naruto-kun."

Most of the class eyed the normally shy girl and dense dead last as they searched for a pair of seats, before they spotted the empty chairs next to Sasuke.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he watched Naruto take the middle seat and Hinata sit at the end, the Hyuuga and Uzumaki couple sharing a look before chuckling at something they found funny about the entire situation. It was...different, sitting next to a couple rather than listening to girls trying to be a couple with him. While he ultimately had no real emotional stake in either of his classmates, he could objectively say that they did seem happy with each other for now. Still, how did that come about?

"I'm first!"

And with that, Sasuke looked forward, choosing not to acknowledge the exchange in the back between Ino and Sakura. He mentally counted down from five once he heard the running again, getting closer to him.

"Move it, Naruto!" Sakura demanded as she knocked him off the prized seat.

"What the heck!?" Naruto said in surprise as he looked up from his spot on the floor-

"WHA!"

-Just in time see Sakura fall down on the floor, gaining everyone's attention. Even Sasuke, who looked surprised at the scene.

"Who the heck di-!?" Sakura yelled as she turned to glare, only to gulp. Hinata, the wallflower of the class, was giving her a hard stare, her hand still on the chair she had obviously pulled aside.

"This is Naruto-Kun's seat," Hinata said with a frown.

"Naruto-Kun?" Sakura repeated incredulously as she looked over at the boy she pushed, then to Hinata, and back again.

"Something wrong, Sakura-Chan?" Naruto asked, one part cocky, but two parts concerned.

 _'How did a loser like Naruto get a girlfriend?'_ Sakura 'said' in amazement.

Naruto was about to roll his eyes until he blinked. Did his brain stall or had Sakura said that without moving her lips?

"Okay, you know what?" Sakura said as she stood back up. "I'm just going to let that one go," she said, brushing herself off. She was a fangirl, but she was also a romantic. She wasn't about to ruin another couple's last day in class. That said, she did turn to send her best "dazzling smile" at Sasuke. "See you soon, Sasuke-kun!"

"Hn," the Uchiha's refusal to acknowledge her only seemed to enthrall her more somehow before heading back to find another seat.

"What was that about?" Ino asked to Sakura in confusion.

"Naruto has a girlfriend," Sakura answered, still a bit surprised herself.

"Well, that's a horrible way to start my ninja career," Naruto murmured as he got back into his seat. "Thanks, Hinata-Chan," he said with a boyish smile that made her weak in the knees all over again.

"O-of course, Naruto-kun," she said, letting out a sigh of relief from having to hold that glare for so long. _'I can't believe I actually did that,'_ Hinata thought, a touch giddy.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that comment, but didn't say anything. Partially because he wasn't sure she meant to say that aloud, but mostly because Iruka and Mizuki entered the class.

"Well, congratulations, boys and girls. This'll be the last day you have to listen to our ugly mugs for a while," Mizuki greeted in jest, getting some snickers around the room. _'Or so most of you think.'_

"Eh?" Naruto said intelligently, looking at the Sensei oddly even as the rest of the class kept laughing, even Hinata looked amused. _'Was I the only one that heard that?'_

"Mizuki," Iruka scolded with a sigh.

"Lighten up, Iruka. Just trying to end it on a high note," Mizuki responded, waving his concerns off.

The scarred Chunnin rolled his eyes before stepping forward to the now silent class with pride in his eyes. "As of today you are all ninja. To get here you faced difficult trials and hardships. But that's nothing, what comes next will be far more difficult. Now you are only Genin, first level ninja. All the Genin will be grouped into three man squads. Each squad will be led by a Jonin. An elite ninja," he informed, getting the complete attention and interest of the room.

"Three, huh?" Naruto murmured, looking to Hinata curiously. To his amusement and endearment, she was crossing her fingers.

"Obviously, we want all squads to be balanced with different strengths and abilities," Mizuki stated as he and Iruka each opened a folder. "If you hear a team number get skipped, pay it no mind, we recycle those," he added on absently as they both started to announce the squads.

"Squad Seven," Iruka read off. "Naruto Uzumaki."

The whiskered youth sat up immediately, wondering just who he was with.

"Sakura Haruno."

"Dammit, a day ago I would have loved that," Naruto muttered even as he heard Sakura groan from the middle isle. He wasn't that smart, but even he noticed the two-to-one ratio for guys and girls on teams so far.

"And Sasuke Uchiha."

"Oh come on," Naruto let his head fall at that, ignoring Sakura's cheering.

"I-it's okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata reassured, trying to smile through her own disappointment while patting him on the back.

"Your Jonin sensei will be Kakashi Hatake," Iruka finished, a bit amused yet pitying Naruto. He'd have to congratulate the kid on finally noticing Hinata though.

"It's fine, Hinata-chan. Good rolls of luck end eventually," Naruto assured with a smile. "Besides, you'll probably get the second most kickass team."

"If you're both done," Mizuki scolded briefly, getting an apologetic look from the heiress and a sheepish grin from the fox-boy. "Squad Eight is Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, and Shino Aburame under Kurenai Yuhi. To the envy of most males."

"Mizuki!" Iruka hissed with an eye twitch, the silver haired Jonin just giving him a look, daring to refute that.

"Huh, don't know Shino, but Kiba's not so bad," Naruto murmured to himself as Hinata looked uncertain. He wondered if it was a cosmic sign that his new girlfriend got a, if Mizuki was to be believed, hot Kunoichi for a Jonin. Then again, he wasn't good at looking into deeper meanings or voicing them without putting a foot in his mouth, so he dropped that.

With another sigh, Iruka just continued on. "Squad Ten is Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akamichi, and Shikamaru Nara under Asuma Sarutobi."

"Sarutobi?" Naruto commented with a blink. _'The old man's kid, maybe?'_

 _'Did they pick them just for the Inoshikacho pun?'_

Naruto blinked as he looked over to Sasuke, very sure that was his voice. "You say something?" Naruto asked with a confused scowl.

Sasuke eyed Naruto strangely, not sure if he was genuinely asking or trying to start a fight. Either way, he might as well as be honest. "No."

"Huh," Naruto said in acceptance.

"That's all the squads," Mizuki said, closing the folder pointedly. "Your new wardens will be arriving after lunch. You're all free until then," Mizuki stated.

"Really, Mizuki?" Iruka asked dryly.

"Eh, I say get in enough laughs and smiles for them before reality hits too hard," Mizuki reasoned before heading out. "Oh, and congrats for the last minute couple!" he called over his shoulder.

A few chuckles were had at that, Hinata shrinking in a bit at the attention while Naruto just sighed for an unrelated reason. "Well, if I had known that, I wouldn't have bothered eating before coming here."

Hinata resisted the urge to facepalm, realizing they didn't have to run here if Naruto hadn't gotten a last minute snack. "Want to go for a walk, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, no point just sitting around here," Naruto agreed as he stood before looking thoughtful. "Hey, Hinata-Chan? You know what Inoshikacho means?" he asked curiously.

"Umm, I think it's something to do with Hanafuda cards?" Hinata speculated uncertainly.

Neither of them noticed how Sasuke stiffened, his stoic mask broken through sheer surprise, staring suspiciously as they left.

 **Meanwhile**

"And so the Squad romantic dramas start early this year," Hiruzen quipped as he and the Jonin sensei's observed the class with his crystal ball.

"Some of us are already taking bets in the back on how long this one lasts," Asuma commented, glancing over his shoulder as Kurenai rolled her eyes.

"Why are there so many fangirl-types this year?" Kurenai asked with a sigh.

"To be fair, we got a lot of glory-hounds too," Kakashi opined, his one eye staring with interest. "Still, that wasn't in the files. That a new development, Lord Hokage?"

"Very. So much so that this is the first I'm aware of it," the Sandiame mused with a puff of his pipe. "And I'd caution against calling Hinata Hyuuga a fangirl."

"Because her father is the Hyuuga Clan Head?" Asuma guessed with a drag of his own cigarette.

"No, because I've been hearing rumors that she is once again his heiress," Sarutobi answered with amusement.

While no one knew the particulars, many in the ninja corps knew that Hiashi Hyuuga favored his youngest for some reason…until now, apparently.

 **Meanwhile**

The pair walked in a comfortable silence as they wandered the area just outside the academy. "Wait, I just realized that you never got a bite with me. Aren't you hungry, Hinata-Chan?" Naruto asked in concern.

"No, I, um, needed a large meal after my match at home," Hinata answered with a hint of pride.

"So, is your sister that good or were you holding back that much?" Naruto questioned with a teasing voice.

"Oh, no, she is good, Naruto-kun. She could probably beat a lot of our classmates if they weren't careful," Hinata corrected.

"Hehe, a real firecracker, eh?" Naruto joked with a chuckle.

"Her name _**is**_ Hanabi," Hinata informed, almost losing it herself as Naruto snorted hard and grabbed his gut in laughter.

"I have no idea if you mentioned her name before, but that was NOT intentional!" Naruto swore as his laughter died down.

Naruto felt just a little awkward as he noticed Sakura sitting on a bench, looking very crestfallen as she stared at the ground. He scratched the back of his head, uncertain of what to do. He had a girlfriend now, but he didn't hate Sakura or anything, and it didn't seem right to not try and cheer up his teammate.

Hinata caught his look and was thankful that there wasn't a rush of jealousy within her over it. "M-maybe you should go talk to her?" Hinata suggested softly. It was clear Naruto wanted to help if nothing else.

Naruto looked to her in surprise. "You sure?" he asked, getting a nod. "Okay, just remember I'm horrible with words," he cautioned before heading to the pinkete

 _'No you're not,'_ Hinata thought confidently

Naruto was about to speak when he heard Sakura "speak."

 _'How can I think he'd even like me?'_

Only, she wasn't speaking.

 _'I'm scrawny and small, except for my forehead.'_

Yeah, her lips were definitely not moving.

 _'Why was I born with a big wide forehead?'_

"It's wide and charming," Naruto said suddenly.

"Huh?!" Sakura's head shot up in surprise before glaring at the boy. "Naruto, what are you doing here? And what did you just say?"

"Your forehead. Yeah, it's big, but I always thought it was charming," Naruto said sheepishly.

Sakura blinked, twice, before slowly pointing behind Naruto. "You do realize Hinata is right there, right?" she reminded blankly.

Said Hyuuga just waved with a smile. "Yeah, yeah, I know that. But you were getting all down on yourself, I'm guessing because of Sasuke, and blaming your forehead," Naruto explained uncertainly.

Now Sakura blushed in embarrassment. "I said that out loud?" she asked in shame.

"Yeah, but look? We're teammates and all, so I just want to make sure you're okay," Naruto explained, pausing before letting out a mighty sigh. "And, even though I have a girlfriend, I figured it might be what's the word? Cardiac?"

"I think you mean cathartic?" Sakura responded, curious to where this was going.

"Yeah, I figured it'd be cathartic to get some things off my chest," Naruto stated cautiously. When Sakura just stared in interest, he took a deep breath. "Sakura, no matter what Sasuke says, you are one of the prettiest girls I ever met, with blossom-touched hair and emerald eyes. Hinata wins cutest every time though. And, unless I'm absolutely wrong, I think you're the smartest person in class behind Shikamaru. And, well, when it doesn't involve Sasuke, you're actually really nice and considerate. So, yeah, any guy would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend," Naruto assured with a sheepish smile.

Sakura just stared with the faintest of blushes. "...For your sake, I hope you have a list of compliments for her as well," she stated, looking away, not sure what to really say.

"Hehe, I've had a few years to think of yours, I've only had a day for Hinata," Naruto said, looking back to said girlfriend that was staring at him curiously. "Buuuut? Cute as a button and it's adorable how she gets worried about everything, even if I'm trying to help her get over that. Definitely stronger than she thinks she is, hair like the midnight skies, and...I'm still working on a good eye compliment. Well, good and original. Not to make a joke, but I think comparing them to the moon would just be too cheesy," Naruto listed off with a grin.

Hinata just blushed with a giddily happy look.

"When did you become a sweetheart?!" Sakura asked in shock.

"It-it's," Hinata spoke up before taking a break to give Sakura a scolding look. "It's your own fault for never giving him a chance," Hinata stated as she looped an arm around Naruto's.

Sakura stared in surprise as Hinata's boldness. "Okay, well, I'm honestly surprised to say that you seem to be a positive influence on her, Naruto."

"I'll try not to take that as an insult, Sakura-Chan," Naruto deadpanned.

"Come on, you're the class prankster. You have to give me that," Sakura retorted before taking a deep breath, giving Naruto a small smile. "Still, thanks, Naruto. I think I needed to hear that from someone," she gave honestly.

Naruto just grinned. "Hey, we're teammates. If we're not watching out for each other, who will?"

"Not to sound desperate, but where did Sasuke even go?" Sakura asked in legitimate confusion.

"Probably back home," Naruto answered, getting looks from both girls. "What? I tried to prank him a few times, and that's about the only place he's at. The guy only leaves for food, training, and school. Which, in fairness, sounds like me without pranks."

Sakura just rolled her eyes at that. "Well, I packed enough for two," she stated, holding up the bento box. "You two want to join me?"

The couple shared a look "We've both eaten some, so split a meal for one in two as a snack?" Naruto suggested.

Hinata smiled and nodded as they took a seat beside Sakura, who started passing out chopsticks.

"So, you just that happy to be with him or is there another reason you're in such a good mood today, Hinata?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Umm, let's just say Naruto-Kun gave me some advice about a family problem that worked out really, really well," Hinata answered sheepishly.

"I bribed her with cinnamon," Naruto answered mischievously.

"Naruto-Kun!" Hinata said, trying not to smile at that description.

"There's a story there that I'm not sure I want to know," Sakura stated warily. "Just tell me it wasn't for anything perverted?"

"Just what kind of person do you think I am, Sakura-Chan?" Naruto asked with an eye twitch.

"A teenage boy with a very eager girlfriend," Sakura answered bluntly.

Despite the light mood, Naruto couldn't help wondering just what was going on. He clearly heard Sakura without seeing her mouth move. How did that work? Its not like he was a mindreader, after all.

As they continued on, none of the trio noticed a pair of eyes watching them from atop the academy. Sasuke scowled in confused suspicion. He knew something was different about Naruto, but that moment had been more than a little off putting. Had that just been a coincident? He shook his head before turning to leave, not willing to get his mind wrapped up in crazier ideas without more evidence

 **End of Chapter**

And there we go, all set up for a fairly different meeting between Team 7 and Kakashi. And Naruto is now starting to get an inkling of what he can and is doing. Also gave him a moment with Sakura to be, as said, cathartic And Sasuke is now getting suspicious This'll obviously, combined with no shadow clones, make a very different and interesting bell test for them all.

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


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